Community Service Work-Study Program. Supervisor Handbook

Transcription

1 Community Service Work-Study Program Supervisor Handbook Welcome to the Community Service Work-Study (CSWS) program! This unique employment opportunity is designed to assist students with the cost of their college education, reinforce their educational and career goals, and enable them to contribute to positive community change throughout the United States. You play a very important role in making this experience valuable not only for the student, but also for your organization. We encourage you to use this handbook as a helpful and supportive resource. We also encourage you to refer back to the original job description given in the application with the goal of facilitating student success in your organization. As outlined in the Community Organization How wonderful that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. Anne Frank Contract, we have included important information that can assist you throughout the work-study experience. Content A. Responsibilities of the Supervisor B. Preparing for Your Student s Arrival C. Training and Supervision D. Service-Learning Plan E. Feedback F. What Makes a Good Mentor? H. Program Guidelines and Policies I. Time Sheets J. Payment and Billing K. Injury and L. Evaluation M. Responsibilities of the Student N. Past Student CSWS Contributions

2 A. Responsibilities of the Supervisor We believe that a successful work-study experience should afford a student the opportunity to: contribute to the work and goals of a community organization gain relevant, career-related work experience have direct exposure and contact with professionals in public service-related fields exercise knowledge and skills gained from the classroom while acquiring on-the-job training reflect and deeply consider the organization s work as well as the conditions that make the services of the organization necessary Our hope is that your student will leave your organization having developed personally and professionally and having gained a deeper understanding of public service. To help ensure that these things happen, it is our expectation is that your organization will designate a specific person to supervise, mentor, train and advise the student on-site. See F. What Makes a Good Mentor?. This person cannot be a relative of the student. The supervisor plays a central role in creating a work-study experience that is mutually beneficial for both the student and your organization. The remainder of this handbook is intended for the chosen supervisor. We have outlined some of her or his roles and responsibilities, as well as some helpful tools. B. Preparing for Your Student s Arrival Explain the CSWS program to your staff. Arrange for your student s workstation. Ensure that the space is appropriate and ergonomically correct. Your student will need internet access for the web-based time-recording system. Gather necessary information about the organization, the communities served, and any other useful data that might orient the student to your work. Create a list of goals that you have for your student in her or his time at your organization. Review the student s D. Service-Learning Plan (Part D), reflecting on his or her personal and professional goals during this work-study experience.

3 C. Training and Supervision We hope that you, as the supervisor, will work to develop a clearly defined position or project for your student which is appropriate for someone of college age. Additionally, it is important that you provide ongoing feedback to help and support your student s work. See E. Feedback (Part E). D. Service-Learning Plan As part of the CSWS program, students will be asked to complete a service-learning plan for their placement. Creating a learning plan helps your student articulate, prioritize, and gain support for what he or she wants to learn and accomplish during his or her placement. It gives all involved you, your student, and Haas staff a means to better understand your student s intentions and goals, so that you can more effectively contribute to your student s experience as it unfolds. This will be most useful to you if you have your student regard it as a living document, making adjustments along the way, and as a tool for conversation and reflection. Students will be asked to create objectives in each of the following categories: Knowledge Objectives What the student hopes to learn (facts, concepts, theories, ideas) about the community, focus of your work, etc. Skills Objectives Skills the student hope to acquire and/or strengthen through training, practice, observation of others, etc. Attitudes & Values Objectives Personal values, commitments, or assumptions the student will explore, question, deepen or clarify. (Students are asked to consider what values and commitments the they are bringing to this placement.)

4 The learning plan is not meant to suggest that the student will meet all these objectives this summer, or that the objectives listed will accurately describe what he or she ultimately takes from the experience. Rather, the learning plan can serve to clarify expectations and objectives for both you and the student as the work study placement progresses. For a copy of the student learning plan see Appendix A: Student Learning Plan. E. Feedback Feedback is critical to professional development, especially for students who have limited work experience. Students will be looking to their supervisors to provide them with positive and constructive feedback. It is our hope that as a supervisor, you will actively review the student s performance and identify what she or he has done well, as well as ways in which she or he can improve. Set a time to revisit earlier expectations and goals as it may be necessary to modify them. This will help you and your student establish more realistic goals and clearer expectations. Ask for feedback from the student about her or his experience at your organization. Point out where the student is improving and where more work needs to be done. Specific examples can be quite helpful in this process. F. What Makes a Good Mentor? Mentoring a student can often be a rewarding and fulfilling experience for both the mentor and the mentee. We believe that the CSWS program provides an ideal opportunity for you and your student to form and develop a valuable and mutually beneficial relationship that extends beyond the limits of the workplace. This section offers some helpful tips about mentoring. 1 1 These notes on mentoring were adapted from the Stanford Alumni Mentoring Guide and the US Department of Justice Guidelines for Creating Successful Mentoring Partnerships. Both of these guides are available online.

5 An effective mentor is: Mentors often take on several roles: Motivator Resource Support Coach Expresses belief and confidence in the mentee's abilities Encourages mentee to try new things Teaches and advises mentee on how to make professional contacts Introduces the mentee to new people, places, or ideas Helps mentee explore different career paths and interests Encourages open dialogue Listens to and responds to the needs of the mentee Helps the mentee develop and work to achieve realistic and meaningful goals Offers honest input and feedback A reciprocal mentoring relationship can be meaningful for the mentor as well as for the mentee. The benefits of being a mentor include, but are not limited to: Gaining personal satisfaction from helping a student discover and reach her or his potential Receiving exposure to new perspectives from the mentee Expanding professional networks Enhancing coaching and mentoring skills Developing meaningful connections with students Learning more about the Stanford community

6 G. Reflection It is our hope that you, as a supervisor, will help your student reflect upon and learn from her or his experiences. This can take the form of helping the student understand the big picture through exposure to organizational structure, mission, goals, and priorities. Reflections can also take place in the context of discussions at staff meetings. Students should also be encouraged to learn about developments in the field. H. Program Guidelines and Policies Organizations will be responsible for paying in full for any hours worked in violation of the following federally-mandated restrictions on use of CSWS funds: Students are only eligible to work between June 16 and September 13 (except July 4 and Labor Day). Students may not begin working until their application has been approved and, for the summer program, until they have attended a mandatory program orientation. Students may not work past September 13 without being admitted to the academic year CSWS program. Student s wages cannot exceed the student s maximum allowable earnings. During the summer, students cannot work more than 40 hours a week or 8 hours a day; no overtime is permissible. Students being paid through the university for more than one position during the summer (work-study or otherwise) may not exceed 40 hours a week or 8 hours a day for the two jobs combined. Please see Appendix B: Administrative Guide for Rests and Meals, for details about rest days, rest periods, and meal periods.

7 I. Time Sheets Our time sheets are web-based, and students require daily access to the internet for purposes of entering their daily work hours. Supervisors must sign off on a hard copy of the online timesheet, which the student prints out and submits for signature. It is then the student s responsibility to submit these time sheets to the Haas Center twice a month by fax, scanned copy, or hand delivery. Supervisors are expected to continually check to make sure students are not working hours in violation of program restrictions when signing off on time sheets. If the student is not planning to work for a pay period, a timesheet must still be approved and submitted. If the approved timesheet is not received by the submission date, the student will be asked to stop working. If the approved timesheets are continually submitted late, the student will be terminated from the program. Employee Pay Schedule: Work Dates Submission Dates Pay Days (all due by noon) 6/16 to 6/30* 6/30 July 7 7/1 to 7/15 7/15 July 22 7/16 to 7/29 7/29 August 5 8/1 to 8/15 8/15 August 22 8/16 to 8/31* 8/31 September 7 9/1 to 9/15 9/15 September 22 *When a bank holiday falls between the end of the pay period and payday, payroll must run one day earlier than normal to ensure that direct deposits post on payday. As such, Axess timecard actions must be completed by 10 am to meet the accelerated schedule. Please take special note of the early deadline above and plan accordingly. For an example of a correct timesheet, see Appendix C: Example Timesheet.

8 J. Payment and Billing Organizations are expected to submit a timely payment of their 10% contribution toward the student s wages and benefits upon billing. This billing generally occurs 4-5 weeks after the conclusion of each academic quarter. Organizations who fail to submit their 10% portion of the student s wages to the university within a reasonable timeframe (generally 30 days from invoice) will not be allowed to participate in the program in the future. K. Injury and Unusual Incidents Should your student be injured on the job or experience any type of unusual incidents, contact Yvette Zepeda ( or yvetteg@stanford.edu) within 24 hours. Your student is an employee of Stanford University while in the program and the university must be aware of all such issues. L. Evaluation All participating organizations are asked to complete an evaluation of the student s job performance and the overall CSWS program: at the mid-point of the student s placement, and at the completion of the student s work. Each comment and suggestion is carefully considered and helps us improve the CSWS program. We hope that you will take the time to complete these evaluations. While you do not necessarily have to use the evaluation forms provided by Haas, they are available online for your convenience and for consultation. For an example evaluation form, see Appendix D: Example Evaluation Form. M. Responsibilities of the Student Complete the hiring process, including the orientation with the Haas Center for Public Service before starting at the community organization. Monitor work-study earnings and ensure that earnings do not exceed the maximum amount stipulated in the financial aid award.

9 Inform the employer of any changes in the award. Perform specific tasks and responsibilities as outlined and discussed with supervisor. Be accountable to her or his supervisor as well as to the Haas Center staff. Dress at a level of formality consistent with organizational norms and expectations. Be prompt and maintain good attendance and working relationships. Complete weekly time sheets and deliver, , or fax them to the Haas Center twice a month. N. Past Student CSWS Contributions assisted doctors in ER created marketing plans and press releases helped with program assessment laid groundwork for affordable housing located grant funding led recruiting efforts conducted research and evaluation trained new interns coordinated events helped with Diabetes Awareness Fair stage-managed a show completed new publication templates created a pamphlet on higher education designed, wrote and compiled a newsletter worked on application for new satellite clinic wrote demographic summary established relationships with students ran a basketball camp led youth workshops served as a mentor and teacher used graphic skills worked on the César Chávez Memorial Project Contact Information Yvette Zepeda, Program Director Haas Center for Public Service yvetteg@stanford.edu 562 Salvatierra Walk Phone: Stanford, CA Fax: haas.stanford.edu

10 Appendices Appendix A: Student Learning Plan Community Service Work-Study Program Learning Plan WHAT IS A LEARNING PLAN? A written document that helps you articulate, prioritize, and gain support for what you want to learn and accomplish during your CSWS placement. WHY DO I NEED A LEARNING PLAN? Discussing your learning plan at the beginning of your placement and revisiting it throughout your placement will help you recognize and respond thoughtfully to changes and opportunities in your work environment. A learning plan gives you, your supervisor, and others involved a means to better understand and articulate each other s expectations and goals. CREATING THE LEARNING PLAN Draft your learning plan before arriving at your work site. Speculate about how the activities in your current job description might help you accomplish your objectives. Start an ongoing conversation with your supervisor about your goals and the contributions you are prepared to make. Get a better sense of the organization and opportunities available to you in order to revise your objectives and finish your plan. Add, reprioritize, and revise objectives as you gain a clearer sense of the opportunities and resources available to you and your supervisor gains a clearer sense of your interests and abilities. 1. Identify your objectives according to the following categories. Knowledge Objectives What you hope to learn (facts, concepts, theories, ideas) about the community, focus of your work, etc. Skills Objectives Skills you hope to acquire and/or strengthen through training, practice, observation of others, etc. Attitudes & Values Objectives Personal values, commitments, or assumptions you will explore, question, deepen or clarify. (Consider what values and commitments that you are bringing to this placement.)

11 2. This process can help you organize your thoughts as you create your learning plan. BRAINSTORM Based on what you know so far about the parameters of your placement experience, list any and all learning objectives that come to mind for the 3 categories above. PRIORITIZE Sort through and assign priority levels to each objective based on its importance to you and practicality for your summer work. A to those of highest priority ( I will not be satisfied unless this objective is met ) B to those important to you ( I expect and hope to make some progress here ) C to desirable objectives ( It s perhaps unrealistic, or less important than others ) REWRITE & CLARIFY Reexamine A and B priority objectives, and be sure they are concrete, clear, and measurable. Use language like: To develop/acquire/increase my [knowledge, skill, attitude] about [content, skill, subject, etc.] LIST MEANS TO ACCOMPLISHING OBJECTIVES For each of your objectives, identify and articulate the activities you think will help you meet them. Consider both on-the-job and off-the-job activities. Talk with your community partner/supervisor about how the activities you undertake with them can allow you to contribute to their work, while also enabling you to learn. PLAN FOR ASSESSING PROGRESS This is not a final step, but rather a continual process during your fellowship. Create checkpoints throughout your experience to discuss your contributions to the organization and progress toward specific learning objectives. Write down some possible methods and indicators to identify whether you re working toward each objective.

12 3. Your final learning plan may look something like this. Type Priority Objective Means to Accomplish Assessment (Knowledge, Skill, Attitude & Values) Attitudes & Values (A, B, C) (Each objective clearly stated) (Both "on and "off the job") (When, how, with whom ) A Make commitments I can keep. Take 1-2 days to weigh my interest and ability before taking on additional commitments. Feel happy and excited about the activities I am involved in and not overwhelmed and negative about the work. Knowledge B Increase my awareness and knowledge of current events. Skim through a newspaper every day. Ask friends and family who may be off campus for the current events they re aware of. Be able to hold a conversation or inform others about current events. Form my own opinion as well. Attitudes & Values C Question and address my tendency to judge the intentions of student leaders and volunteers. Get to know student leaders and volunteers on campus better over lunch or dinner. Question my own leadership and advice. Get to know at least 3-5 CSWS leaders/members well during winter quarter. To discuss your learning plan either in progress or completed with someone at the Haas Center, contact Yvette Zepeda (yvetteg@stanford.edu) for an appointment.

13 Appendix B: Administrative Guide for Rests and Meals Day of Rest Contingent employees working more than 30 hours a week are entitled to have at least one day off in seven in compliance with California state law. Rest Periods The University provides contingent employees a 15-minute paid rest period for each four hours of work or "major fraction" of four hours of work, provided the employees work at least three and a half hours per day. As far as practicable, rest periods should be scheduled in the middle of each work period. Rest periods should also be arranged so that disruptions of work and services are held to a minimum. Employees are not permitted to use their rest periods to shorten the workday or to extend the meal break. Meal Periods Meal periods normally are for one hour and are unpaid. Time taken for meal periods is not part of the work day, provided the employee is relieved of all duty. A contingent employee must be provided with an unpaid meal period of at least 30 minutes after no more than five hours of work, and a second meal period of at least 30 minutes after no more than ten hours of work, unless the employee waives the right to the second meal period. A contingent employee who works no more than six hours in the workday may also waive the right a meal period if the supervisor approves. Note to Supervisors Unpaid meal breaks, including actual start and stop times, must be recorded in Axess/People Soft HMRS. If employee is eligible for a meal break and one is not provided, a 1 hour penalty must also be recorded. Records for Contingent Employees Federal and state laws require contingent employees to keep an accurate daily record of hours actually worked, including actual start and stop times and meal breaks. The Axess payroll system is the system of record to indicate hours worked and sick time by each contingent employee. In that system, records must be updated by the end of each pay period, but it is recommended that employees update their actual work hours each work day. Supervisors (or their departmental designees) must approve contingent employees' time records and must approve any variance from the employees' normally scheduled work hours.

14 Appendix C: Example Timesheet

15 Appendix D: Evaluation Form Community Service Work-Study Program Student Self-Evaluation Student: Supervisor: This two-part form is intended to help facilitate a useful conversation between supervisor and student at the midpoint and end of the Community Service Work-Study experience. There is no need to return this form to the Haas Center. If your organization has another form for these purposes, please feel free to substitute. Excellent Good Fair Poor Unacceptable Unable to Comment Knowledge and understanding of field and social issues Knowledge of relevant issues Knowledge of existent solutions Understanding of links between relevant issues and other social problems Ability to consider innovative solutions Working in the Community Involvement in the community Ability to relate with different groups in the community Knowledge and use of community resources Utilization of community members in project Adaptability to new situations Leadership skills and ability Initiative in taking responsibility Creativity in solving problems Decision-making ability Willingness to learn Ability to motivate others Setting high level of expectations for self/others Professional skills Oral communication Written communication Public speaking Professionalism Dependability Quality of work Ability to meet deadlines Understanding and acceptance of supervision Teamwork and cooperation Acceptance of criticism/feedback

16 I. What are some areas in which you demonstrated strengths or skills? II. What are some areas in which you need to improve? III. How well did you achieve the goals of your project or job description? IV. How effective was communication between you and others (coworkers, supervisors, community members)? What did you learn about communication styles and process? V. What has been effective and ineffective in your working relationship with your supervisor? How did your work style fit with his/her management style? What lessons did you learn? Additional thoughts or comments: